BBQ Benefit for the Stone Family, Sunday, August 14th

Daniel Vaughn, The BBQ snob over at Full Custom Gospel BBQ, sent me a note about an upcoming BBQ benefit for the family of the young father who recently died at the Texas Rangers game.  BBQ from the Pecan Lodge and and Lockhart Smokehouse is part of the proceedings.

info is here:

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1940775913

Upcoming KCBS BBQ judging class

As part of the Bedford Blues and BBQ Festival KCBS (Kansas City BBQ Society) is once again offering their offical BBQ judging class in Bedford, Texas on September 3rd.  I took the class last year and enjoyed the experience. Info on registration can be found here:  

http://www.bedfordbluesbbq.com/bbqinfo.htm

I will not be attending the class, but I am signed up to judge the contest again.    Rancher's Reserve has added a top sirloin contest to the festivities so I am looking forward to some good eatin'!!

Hard Eight BBQ, Coppell, Texas

visited 7/2/11 about 7 pm
http://www.hardeightbbq.com/

This is a small but expanding chain that I have heard mostly negative reviews about.  Hence, the lack of a previous visit.  On this night they had booked a good blues performer and that added just enough oomph to spur a trip to nearby Coppell through the tortuous DFW Connector construction project.  Many folks had complained to me that this place was very overpriced but I found their meats to be very competitively priced at $11.99/pound.  I think the trick is to watch the portion size.  Two slices of brisket was easily 3/4 of a pound tonight.

This is a big joint and it was hopping.  We had to park around on the back side and walk around to the pits in the front.  It is laid out like a central Texas BBQ place with the pits and warming pits up front.  You choose your meats and hot sides from the warming pit, pay by the pound, then move inside for cold sides and drinks.  They even have a separate bean pot in the back with complimentary pinto beans.   We loaded up with brisket, pork ribs, jalapeno sausage, and "brush poppers", plus a side of tater salad and some beans. 

Our bill was $31 for the tray you see below, plus extra for beer. The meat is served hill country style on butcher paper on a small tray.  The place was very busy but my Mrs found a spot down front by the band while I wrangled some beverages.  The brisket was crumbling apart and would not hold together at all.  It was also very salty and there was zero smoke flavor.  A few stringy bits were overcooked to the consistency of beef jerky and almost unchewable, probably outside bits.  All signs of overcooking.  The brisket basically had the taste and consistency of crock pot roast beef.  It would have been great with some brown gravy.  I had hopes the sauce would help, or at least cut the salt, but found it thin, and a heavy taste of vinegar and mustard, almost like East Coast sauce. 

The ribs were a bit better.  Still salty and little flavor from the bark except salt, however they were well cooked, left a nice bite mark and were plenty tender and juicy.  The jalapeno sausage had a nice bite and good spicey flavor.  Not bad at all.  The highlight of the meat was the "brush poppers".  These were chicken strips wrapped around jalapeno and onion with bacon around the outside.  Those were excellent.  The chicken was still tender and juicy and the flavors just popped in your mouth.  If there had been some good smoke flavor they would have been a stone home run.  My Mrs is already planning on working her magic on this concept. 

The sides were better than your average fare.  The tater salad was skin on with bits of onion and a mustard base.  The pinto beans were perfect consistency, not mushy, not chewy, and had plenty of spicy flavor with bits of ham and peppers.  The beans ranked right up there with the best of central Texas joints.

I would be happy to go back if they book some more good blues, but I'll be sticking with the brush poppers instead of the BBQ. 

2011 Texas Monthly BBQ fest

I missed out last year, but I already have my VIP ticket to this BBQ festival for 2011.  22 BBQ joints participating, many of whom I have tried, some I haven't!  I am looking forward to an EPIC meat coma!!

http://www.texasmonthly.com/bbqfestival/

Circle H Bar-B-Q & Grill, Emory, Texas

Visited 6/29/11 about 11:30 am

One of my fishing guides recommended this place for a stop so I checked it out at lunch time between fishing trips.  This joint is located near the intersection of US 69 and Texas 19 in Emory and is pretty easy to find.  It's just south of the intersection on 69 on the west side.  For lunch they have cafeteria style serving with a nice waitress who comes around and refills your tea and fetches sauce and fixin's if you need them.

For this meal I got a 3 meat plate with brisket, ribs, and Pittsburg hot links.  The brisket was tender and moist with well rendered fat but zero smoke flavor.  Sort of disappointing considering I had some of my wife's great smokey brisket in the fridge back at the motel.  The meat was helped a bit by their sauce, which was thin and sweet with a light vinegar base.  The ribs were a bit over-cooked to falling off the bone and were helped a bit by a sweet bark.  They were tasty, but nothing to make a special trip for.  This was the first time I had the Pittsburg hot links.  I had always thought they were the standard pink East Texas style, but these were little brown darlings.  They had a mushy consistency, almost like mashed potatos, and an interesting if unremarkable beef flavor.  There was nothing hot about them, either temperature or spice.  I'll stick to the standard pink ones given the option in the future.

Of the sides, the best was the green beans with a nice ham flavoring throughout.  The au gratin taters were average.  They had excellent sweet tea.  If I return I'll probably stick with a rib plate with a double helping of those green beans.

another awesome home brisket

My wife has really got brisket down.  USDA choice briskets are on sale at $1.49/lb again so we just had to do another one.  Last night she smoked a 10 pound brisket.  8 hours on the smoker and 4 hours in the oven.  I paid a little more attention to her smoking techniques this time and I see how she gets so much more smoke flavor than I do.  Anytime the smoke is not absolutely billowing out of the smoker she adds more coals and wood.  I'd guess she cooks with almost 50% wood.  The result was a brisket with deep smoke flavor, perfectly rendered fat, and very moist and tender.  Yes, I'm a lucky man!  If that wasn't enough, she also smoked up a bunch of her excellent chicken as well.  Sorry, no pictures of the chicken.  We ate it!

Hitler misses Franklin BBQ, pretty funny

Thanks to Swag for sending this hilarious take on Hitler missing out on Franklin BBQ.  The only thing I would change is the last line, which I'd change to Bill Miller BBQ!  I love the Salt Lick!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaZx6kGs7pg